Online Program

290361
Youth leading youth: Reaching rural and out of school youth with sexual and reproductive health education


Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Eva Burgos, BA, GOJoven Belize Alumni Association (GOBelize), Belmopan, Belize
Josie Ramos, MA, Public Health Institute, Oakland, CA
Esther Tahrir, MPH, GOJoven International, Public Health Institute, Oakland, CA
In 2011, dedicated Fellows from the Public Health Institute's Youth Leadership in Sexual and Reproductive Health Program (GOJoven) established the GOJoven Alumni Association (GOBelize), a youth-led non-governmental organization whose mission is developing youth leadership, sexual & reproductive health, and environmental awareness programs that respond to the current needs of youth in Belize. GOJoven builds the capacity of young Latin American leaders to act as social change agents to address adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (ASRHR) behaviors, policies, programs and services at individual, organizational and community levels. Since 2004, the 46 GOJoven Fellows in Belize have implemented six leadership action projects in their communities that address some of the challenges to their SRH such as unwanted pregnancies, sexual violence and discrimination in accessing family planning services. These projects work with mostly rural and out of school youth by educating, advocating and creating awareness of these barriers to sexual health. Several projects were implemented by these youth leaders to reach rural and out of school youth with comprehensive SRH education. In 2006, fellows worked on the rural border of Belize and Guatemala to educate young people and in 2011, fellows coordinated programs targeting young people aged 15-24 in Northern Belize. In March of 2012, GOBelize, in collaboration with United Nations Development Program, will reach out to another 1,200 rural and out of school youth within the age group. All of these youth-led programs are designed using interactive methods that capture the attention, participation and attendance of young people in Belize.

Learning Areas:

Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the outcomes that young leaders in Belize have had on youth and communities through projects offering leadership, sexual & Reproductive health and environmental awareness. Analyze the best practices from GOJoven Fellows’ projects with youth in rural communities since 2004.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been a program Fellow since 2004 and have worked for the GOJoven program since 2005, with the last two years as general coordinator for the GOJoven program in Belize overseeing all aspects of program coordination. I have implemented my own leadership project and have provided technical assistance to all of the other 5 leadership project in Belize.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.